Bengaluru: D K Shivakumar on Monday urged sugar mill owners to reach a settlement with protesting sugarcane growers even if it imposed an additional burden on them, calling for a negotiated solution involving the factories and the Union and State governments.
Addressing mill owners at Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi, the Chief Minister said growers had sought a price of up to ₹6,000 per tonne. His opening remarks did not announce an agreed new cane price or a final settlement.
“Even if it is a burden, arrive at a solution”
“Even if it becomes a burden on you, decide to arrive at a solution,” Shivakumar told the owners. He asked them to win farmers’ confidence, show generosity in discussions and avoid allowing their anger to escalate.
He said he, district ministers and legislators had met the protesting growers at Kittur and heard their grievances. He had sought time to consult everyone because mill owners also faced financial, banking, ethanol and electricity-price problems, he said.
“This is not a meeting to do politics. There are other platforms for that,” he said, seeking an amicable resolution. Referring to a vehicle being set on fire last year, he said such incidents should not recur and maintaining peace was the government’s duty.
80% of mills followed earlier arrangement, he says
Shivakumar said the government led by Siddaramaiah had earlier decided on an arrangement under which the State would provide part of the money and sugar factories the remainder.
About 80% of factories had complied, while some had not and had approached the courts, he said, citing information provided by officials.
He said mill owners had not succeeded in taking farmers into confidence. The government had a responsibility to protect both sides: growers would face difficulties without factories, while factories could not operate without growers, he said.
National decision needed on sugar-sector problems
Shivakumar said similar problems affected Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Ethanol and molasses were being discussed nationally, and MPs had briefed the meeting on the progress of a Union government committee, he said.
He said sugar prices had not increased for 10 years and growers’ losses had risen.
Shivakumar said he had met Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who had taken up the matter, and had also discussed it with Maharashtra’s Chief Minister. He called for a national-level decision, saying the sector faced national and international problems and sugar production had declined.
Higher pump-set power cost
The Chief Minister said Karnataka spent ₹20,000 crore annually on free electricity for farmers’ pump sets and would have to provide ₹32,000 crore this year. He attributed higher power use to deficient rainfall and said sugarcane yields had fallen.
He said the livelihoods of both farmers and factory owners mattered and urged them to work together on a solution.
Related: Shivakumar’s Belagavi meeting with sugar mill owners on growers’ demands.
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